Method of making metal pattern equipment



METHOD OF -MAKING METAL PATTERN EQUIPMENT Filed April 10, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Marh 3, 1931. A, LAUKEL' 1,794,627

1 March 3, 1931- A. K. LAUKEL 1,794,627

METHOD OF MAKING METAL PATTERN EQUIPMENT Filed April 10 92 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 247/ iz ZZ 8 5 gwvmdoz March 3, 1931. A. K. LAUKEL 1,794,627

METHOD OF MAKING METAL PATTERN EQUIPMENT Filed April 10 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet s a v Fg'gid March 3, 1931. A, K, LAUKEL 1,794,627

METHOD OF MAKING METAL PATTERN EQUIPMENT Filed April 10, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 I PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES ARTHUR K. LAUREL, 01E- DETROIT, MICHIGAN METHOD OF MAKING IIHIIIEITAL PATTERN EQUIPMENT I Applicationffiled April 10,

- An object of the invention isto reduce to a' I -minimum the mechanical operations necessary to apply a face plate to a metal cpre box and to practically eliminate hand labor in the manufacture of such core boxes, especially by eliminating the necessity of making in the first place a carefully fittingface plate for the core box and filing or otherwise trimming the 0 opening in the face plate in which the core box shell-is received.

The invention further contemplates the maintaining of accuracy in the face of such core box, by providing for the projection of the said face plate beyond the working plane of the face of the core box whereby such projecting face plate may be trimmed down to such working plane to secure a working face accurately disposed with respect to the cavity 0 of the core box to which end the said invention also contemplates the recessing of the said face plateinto the mold on which the electro lytically deposited core box is formed. a A further object of the invention is to effect the selective plating of certain parts of the mold in a manner insuring a heavy deposit of metal adjacent and connecting with the face plate and alsoin a manner counteracting the tendency of an electrolytically deposited coating to be weak at corners or angles which it is especialy desirable in a core box shall be strong as such corners are subjected to the greatest wear. a

It is further proposed to provide for the applying of a back plate to the core box in-a manner calculated to protect the face plate or core box against warping or damage during handling inth'e course of manufacture and 50 thereafter,

1926. Serial mi. 101,069.

Ordinarily in the manufacture of metal core boxes by casting in metal a master core box is used which is somewhat oversize to allow for the shrinkage of the casted metal so that the resulting cast core box will not be under-size, and such method is not extremely accurate and usually calls for the subsequent machining or trimming of the casted core box to bring it to its proper dimensions and to provide a; suitable working surface, this machming in duplicated patterns often greatly addlng to the expense of the core box.

' It has been quite'common to make such metal core boxes of aluminum and cast iron. By

my present process I propose to make such 7 metal core boxes by electrodeposition, and

by applying a face plate thereto during the course of the effecting of such electrodeposition, I am able to produce core boxes which are exact duplicates .of the pattern-which to they copy and therefore require no allowance for shrlnk'age. Thus, by the adoption of my process, it is possibleif so desired to make a core box pattern out of wood in exact size of the desired core box so that a test core may i be made in such core box pattern, if it be desired touse such test core for the purpose of trying it out inany particular casting operation before proceeding to make permanent metal core boxes, and thereafter such so metal core boxes may be made on a plaster of Paris or similar mold, molded directly from such wood core box without any change in the configuration or dimensions of the wood core box. box in use may be taken out of a foundry for duplicating without special preparation, and the storage of master core box patterns which has heretofore been practiced extensively is rendered unnecessary.

. Further, the electrodeposition produces a surface which lends itself very well to the purposes of a core box, this being especially apparent in the case of copper deposition,- the smooth surface freeing much more readily 5 from the core than-is found to be the case with cast aluminum and iron core boxes.

' Still further objects subsidiary to or resulting from the aforesaid objects, or from the construction or operation of the invention as 106 Similarly by my process any core I it is carried into effect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect I may adopt the novel procedure hereinafter outlined, having reference by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation of a mold such as is used in the production of a core box in line 5:12-5m, Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a similar view after the first plating operation has taken place;

Figure 7 is va fragmentary plan of the mold and face plate after such first plating operation;

Figure 8 is a similar view to Figure 6 showing the mold prepared for the second plating operation;

Figure 9 is a similar view to Figure 8 showing the result of the second plating operation;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary elevation of the core box removed from the mold after completion of the plating operations, but before the mechanical trimming of the core box;

Figure 11 illustrates in elevation a core box complete after being trimmed Figure 12 is a transverse section of the same taken on the line 12w'12w, Figure 11, illustrating the manner of backing the core box, and Figure 13 is a perspective View of the finished core box. v

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several figures of the drawings. s

The first step of making a core box according to this invention is to providea mold such as that shown in Figure 1, and this may be done by pouring plaster of Paris into a core box in the base of which is arranged a working core box,'the plaster of Paris being of such nature or so treated either before or after the molding in this manner that .it will be practically impervious to attack by the electrolyte in which it is afterwards intended to be immersed in carrying out the here inafter explained portions. For instance,

the plaster of Paris may be impregnated with wax for the purpose of preventing its decomposition by the electrolyte.

The mold 1 so formed comprises a base? from the face of which projects the pattern 3 intended to determine the form of the molding surfaces of the core box and when forming the mold the .face of the base 2 is recessed as at 4, the inner margin 4a of the recess roughly following the outline of the projecting pattern 3. This recess may be formed simply by applying a sheet of paper cut to the shape of the recess to the face of the master pattern on which the mold is formed -or may be scraped away from the face of the base after the forming of the mold or in any other convenient manner which may be thought desirable.

To prepare the mold for the"plating operations to be described, the portions of the base immediately surrounding the pattern 3 are provided with a conducting film to facilitate the initial plating of such portions. This may be accomplished by first coating the surface of the pattern 3 and of the adjacent portions of the base. 2 with copper in any convenient manner such as by painting with a mixture of copper dust and plaster of Paris in. a wet condition which is preferably done at the time of making the mold by painting the corresponding surfaces of the master pattern with such mixture so that it becomes incorporated in the surface of the mold proper 1 without in any way altering the dimensions thereof.

The process is described herein for convenience as a copper plating process, the-deposition of copper lending itself excellently to the production of core boxes by this process,

and it will be understood that the copper surface provided on the mold as has been described will not in itself form a suitable cathode for plating, being of the same nature as the anode used in a copper plating process, and to provide the required cathode film about the margins of the pattern 3, I may subject the copper coated surface of the base surrounding such margins to the action of nitrate of silver in solution whereby a film of metallic silver 5 is provided extending outwardly from the margins of the said pattern 3 and substantially into the adjacent margin of the recess 4 as indicated in Figure 2 and 3. This film of metallic silver forms an excellent cathodefor plating with copper.

'1 next provide a face plate 6 as shown in Figure 4 which may be of brass or other suitable metal and'which has an opening 7 therein having an outline roughly following that of the outline of the pattern 3 but substantially larger so that when this face plate 6 is laid upon the face of the base 2 it Wlll rest in the recess 4 and the beveled edges 7a of thecut out portion of the said face plate will be substantially spaced from the margins of the pattern 3 as clearly'illustrated in thesaid Figure 4, and also in Figures 5 to 9. The face plate is secured face downward to the base 2 of the mold by means of screws 8 entering tapped holes 9 in the said face plate and passing through the said base 2, and it will be seen that when the face plate is so secured in position on the base of the mold its inner edges overlap the outer edges of the silver film which then extends from the inner edges of the face plate to the margins of the pattern 3. By now immersing the mold so equipped in a copper plating bath and connecting the silvered film 5 with the negative lead of a source of electrical energy utilized in the operation of the plating bath, as through said plate 6 or by direct connection of any suitable conductor with the said silvered film 5, it will be readily seen that a coating of copper 10 may be deposited on the silver surface extending between the marginsof the pattern 3 and the adjacent edges of the face plate as indicated in Figures 6 and 7 the said coating adhering to the said adjacent edges of the face plate so that it forms an inwardly extending part of the face plate to the margins of the pattern 3, and may extend over the beveled edges of the said face plate as at 11, being limited against extending beyond such beveled edges by the application of an insulating shield 22 to the exposed back of the face plate.

To ensure clean surfaces for the reception of the metallic deposit I propose to first reverse the current in the bath for a short time before proceeding with the plating.

It will be seen from-Figure 6 that the deposited coating 10 of copper may very effectively fill in the opening between the face plate and the margins of the pattern 3 so that this extending of the edges of the opening in the face plate by electrodeposition of metal into contact with the margins of the pattern 3 now virtually restricts such opening to the exact dimensions and configuration of the said margins of the pattern3 as is required, the said deposited extension 10 havin a face a abutting the mold and adj acent t e margins of the pattern 3, which face is in the true place of the face of the core box, and a raised face 6 resulting from the presence of the recess 4 which extends beyond the true plane of the face of the core box and is in the plane approximately of the surface of the face plate entered in the saidrecess 4.

It will be noted from an examination of Figure 6 that the edges 12 of the deposited metal 10 extending into contact with the margins of the pattern 3 are of substantialthickness and not reduced in thickness at such point as would be the case were the pattern 3 and the surrounding portions plated at the same time, it being commonly known in the plating art that the plating-is not so heavy in angles such as found at the margins of the said pattern 3 where no special provision is made to avoid this peculiarity, and in a core box it is especially desirable that these corners shall be strong or at least that weakness of these points should be avoided.

Figure 7 clearly illustrates the appearance of the mold and face plate after the process has been carried out to the extent already outlined, and in Figure 8 a further step in the process is illustrated wherein the copper In the said Figure 9 the tendency of the coating to be weak at the angles is well illustrated at 15, but it will be noted that this weak point in the coating is now substantiall removed from the actual margin of the pattern due to a substantial deposit of metal 12 having been made at such margin in the first plating operation hereinbefore described.

In order to give strength and rigidity to the core box so produced, it is desirable to provide a suitable backing therefor, and to .this end, I may use a backing plate 16 such as of aluminum having a contour roughly approximating that of the back of the core box and provided with a number of projectionsor ribs 17 adapted to bear against the back of the face plate 6 and lending themselves to being readily filed or otherwise trimmed so that they may all be brought into contact with the back of the said face plate, irrespective of any unevenness therein which may exist, and after such contact of the said ribs with the back of the face plate has been properly'established the face may be secured in position on the back plate.

It is preferred that the back plate should be fitted to the face plate before its removal from the mold as the said face plate-will then be adequately supported by the mold during the operations of fitting the back plate and thus be protected against being wa-rpedand the accuracy of the core box in thus maintained. In so fitting the back plate after the ribs have been trimmed to insure them all properly engaging the face plate, the two plates are drilled and tapped to provide for the reception of securing screws18 and these securing screws may be first applied to the face plate through the back plate to secure the two together until they are removed from the mold after which the screws may be taken out one by one if so desired and replaced from the front of the core box, that is, by passing them through the face plate into the back plate, the holes in the face plate being slightly countersunk to provide for the heads of the screws. In this way 'aco-relation between the threads of the holes in the two plates is maintained which ensures them always being filled together in the same manner after being separated for tinning as hereinafter described, and consequently danger of distorting the face plate when reassembling is avoided. The original holes 9 in the face plate may then be filled in'any suitable manner such as by the employment of additional screws if so desired.

Figure illustrates the appearance of the front ofthe face plate removed from the 5 mold showing the true replica of the core box formed by the electrodeposited shell.

The existence of the ribs 17 ensures a space being maintained between the face plate and the-back plate when they are so assembled,

' and I fill this space with a suitable filler 20 such as white metal, and the back plate may have recesses 21provided therein into which the white metal extends to insure its effective engagement with the back plate and the solid securing of the whole core box assembly. 1

As already explained, the face plate and part of the deposited metal shell extends somewhat beyond the true plane of the core box, and it will be understood that in finishing the core box such projecting portions of the face plate in the shell are removed, as by grinding, to bring them down to the true plane of the core box as already established 25 by the surface a, which surface acts as a guide and facilitates the determining of the exact plane required without difliculty. Figure 11 shows the face plate after the back plate has 7 been applied and the projecting portions of p the face plate ground OK as described.

Finally the end portions 0 and d of'the core box are removed by cutting off along the lines ee and f-f as is required in'a core box of the type illustrated, although the cutting or trimming of the core box may be effected at any convenient stage of its production after the plating processes have been com leted as will be well understood, but by ma 'ng this the final operation, the reinforcing effect of 40 the extra portions 0 and d of the face plate are utilized in guarding the core box against damage during the progress of its manufacture before it is properly backed, and the said end portions 0 and (i also provide a one-piece plate which is easier to handle than would be the'three piece plate which would otherwise benecessary in acore box of the type illustrated.

It will be understood that although the invention is described simply in connection with a .core box, it is also applicable to other devices of a similar nature such as patterns which are not actually core boxes, but which it may be desirable to provide with a face plate in the manner herein described, as in the case of match plates; and it is therefore desired that the term core box as used herein and in the claims be interpreted to include o'therpatterns having face plates. 60 It will be further understood that where sharp corners, such as are found, at the margins of the pattern 3 in the example illus-- trated, are not present, both the pattern and the adjacent surface of the mold may be plated together in one operation, due to the fact that the special two-stage operation described herein to ensure the full and efiective plating of the corners are not in that event required.

This invention may be developed within the scope of the following claims without departing from the essential features of the said invention, and it is desired that the specification and drawings be read as merely illustrative and not in a limiting sense, except as necessitated by the prior art.

What I claim 1. The process of producing a metal element of pattern equipment which consists in providing a mold having a pattern thereon which is a true counterpart of the molding surfaces of the element to be produced, applying a metal face plate to the mold, said face plate having an opening therein of sufficient size to receive said pattern, whereby the edges of said opening are spaced from the marglns of said pattern, and plating the mold exposed through the opening of said face plate to form a continuous electrodeposited shell extending from the edges of the said opening to the margins of said pattern and over the said pattern whereby an electrodeposited shell is formed on said pattern having a marginal flange connecting it with the said face plate.

2. The process of producing a metal element of pattern equipment which consists in providing a mold having a raised pattern thereon which is a true counterpart of the molding surfaces of the element to be produced, plating the mold around the margins of the raised pattern to provide a substantial deposit of metal extending into contact with such margins and thereafter plating the raised pattern to form a deposited shell there: on integral with said marginal deposit.

3. The process of producing a metal element of pattern equipment which consists in providing a mold having a raised pattern thereon and a recess extending around and in spaced relation to the margins of the pattern, locating a face plate in said recess, said face plate having an opening therein exposing said pattern and the face of the mold contiguous to the margins of the said pattern, and plating the exposed part of the mold between the face plate and the pattern.

4. The process of producing a metal element of pattern equipment which consists in providing a mold having a raised pattern thereonand a recess extending around and in spaced relation to the margins of the pat- V tern, locating a face plate in said reeess,-said face plate having an opening therein exposing said pattern and the face of the mold 5. A process of producing a metal element ofrpattern equipment which consists in providing a mold having a pattern thereon which is a counterpart-of the molding .surfaces of the element to be produced, recessing the face of themold around said pattern from an outline approaching the margins of said pattern, inserting a face" place in said recess, said face plate having an opening therein larger than and of the general configuration of the pattern whereby the face of the plate entering the recess is located in a plane in advance of the true plane of theelement as established by the face of the mold contiguous to the margins of the pattern and plating the surfaces of the mold exposed through the opening of the face plate to provide an 'lectrodeposited shell extending from the edge of said opening in the face plateto and over the pattern of the mold whereby such shell is provided with a face plate projectingnbleyond the true plane of the'element and a 'tting of being'mechanically trimmed down to such plane.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the edges of the o ening of the face plate are beveledto provi e forthe efiective plating on such edges of the metallic deposit. The process of producing a metal ele- 80 ment of pattern equipment WhlCh consists in providing a mold having" a raised attern thereon, rendering the face of the mol about the margins of the pattern conductive, ap lying a metal face 'plate'to the mold, said face 85 platehaving an opening therein larger than the pattern whereby the edges of the;plate subsequently trimming tions of such flange to the portions adjacent the margins of the patthe projecting por-. e plane establis e tern.

10. The process of producing an object by electro-deposition consisting in providing a mold having surfaces defining an angle, plating one of said surfaces, to the exclusion of the other surface, immediately adjacent the angle or the intersection of the surfaces and as far as said other surface, and then plating over the remaining surface and the first plat- 11. The process of reproducing an element of pattern equipment from a model of said element, consisting in taking a" mold from said model, applying a face plate to the mold around the portion shaped by said model,

preparing the part of the mold within saidface plate for electroplating, plating said part and the inner edge of said face plate, and backing the deposit and plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ARTHUR K. LAUKEL.

surr unding said opening overlapthe conductive portion of the mold, platin the said conductive portion extending. fro t e edges of the said opening whereby such edge is extended bymet-al deposition to the margins of the pattern, rendering the pattern conductive, and plating the same to form a continuous shell over theplating.

8. The process according to-claim 8 Wheres in the face plate is recessed into the surface of the mold so that it extends'into a plane in advance of the true plane of the face of the element to be produced'and subsequently trimming the face plate after the plating opera- 7 ti ons and its removal from the mold down to such true plane. e

9; The process of producing a metal element of pattern equipment which consists in providing a mold having a raised pattern thereon, providing by electrodeposition a shell on said. pattern having-a marginal 'de-' positedfla e around the pattern and, by the recessing'o the face of the mold atia short distance from the margins'of the pattern-eneuringthe partsofthe. ange immediately adacont the pattern being in the true plane of the element, and the oil 1 parts of the flange in a plane in advance of ch true plane, and

pattern with the marginal H dby. 

